Watsonville Wednesday returns
WATSONVILLE — Watsonville Wednesday is returning from its winter hiatus on Wednesday.
Due to rain in the forecast, the gathering will be held in the Community Room in the Watsonville Civic Plaza, 275 Main St., fourth floor, from noon to 1 p.m.
Community members are invited to meet city and business leaders at the event. A lunch will be provided by the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture to the first 30 people who arrive.
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Sheep to Shawl Fair scheduled
WATSONVILLE — Farm Discovery’s ninth annual Sheep to Shawl Fair will take place March 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Live Earth Farm, 1275 Green Valley Road in Watsonville.
This event features hands-on stations demonstrating the entire progression of processing wool, from live sheep shearing to spinning and knitting.
MOSO, a local student music duet, will headline at 11:30 a.m., with The Banana Slug String Band following at 12:30 p.m., celebrating environmental education through song. There will also be a free family yoga class from Watsonville Yoga and children’s music presentation from Musical Me.
A lunch will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going to Farm Discovery’s educational programming. Local businesses will be in attendance, including Garden Variety Cheese with a lamb petting station, Santa Cruz Yarn Shop with a knitting station, and treats from Penny Ice Cream, and Hidden Fortress Coffee.
The event takes place in and around a renovated turn-of-the-century redwood barn, rain or shine. Tickets are available at the door or online at farmdiscovery.org/sheep-to-shawl-fair-rsvp.
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CHP hosts Tip-A-Cop for Special Olympics
CAPITOLA — Santa Cruz CHP is partnering with the Special Olympics of Northern California.
Tip-A-Cop is a fundraising event where police officers will be serving customers at Chili’s restaurant and all donations will go to the Special Olympics. Donations will help local Special Olympic athletes with free year-round training and competitions. There are 17,777 athletes who participate in 156 competitions throughout the region, in 11 sports.
Special Olympics require a large amount of time and support, with a total of 17,140 volunteers and volunteer coaches. Financial support comes from events such as Tip-A-Cop, individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations.
Tip-A-Cop will be held on March 29 at Chili’s restaurant, located at 1855 41st Ave. in Capitola, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
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METRO recognizes its drivers
SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District celebrated its drivers on Friday with a pancake breakfast.
The day marked a nationwide event known as Transit Driver Appreciation Day.
Santa Cruz participated in this event to celebrate all that the drivers do. Transit drivers keep a schedule, check fares, give directions and more. While doing this they manage to safely maneuver an extra-large vehicle through unpredictable traffic and tough weather conditions.
“Thanking our operators can be as simple as a smile and a wave as you’re boarding and a ‘thank you’ when you leave,” said METRO CEO Alex Clifford.
METRO transports more than 5 million passengers per year. Also, it provides Paratransit service to Santa Cruz County with its ParaCruz service, making around 75,000 trips a year.
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Law Library hosting scrabble tournament
SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz County Law Library is hosting its ninth annual Scrabble Tournament on March 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 701 Ocean St., room 070.
Participants will play three 30-minute games. After each game, scores are tabulated and players are matched up for the next round.
Students play free. A suggested donation for adults is $25.
To register, email sc*******@ya***.com or Ja********@ic****.com or call 420-2205.
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Draft parks plan available for review
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services invites the public to one of several upcoming public meetings to review and discuss a strategic plan that will guide the County Parks for the next decade.
The result of public outreach that included hundreds of participating residents providing input on parks, programs and coastal access, the draft plan is available online at www.scparks.com/strategicplan.
Parks officials will share what they learned in the process with the community at a series of meetings:
• March 27 — Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave., Live Oak, 6-7:30 p.m.
• March 28 — Highlands Park, 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, 6-7:30 p.m.
• March 29 — Civic Plaza Community Room, 275 Main St., Watsonville, 6–7:30 p.m.
“This document will guide our work for the next decade,” Parks Director Jeff Gaffney said. “Anyone who cares about access to parks and open spaces, trails, playgrounds, programs, summer camps, amenities, athletic fields and more is welcome and encouraged to attend.”
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California Senior Legislature election filing period opens
MONTEREY COUNTY — The Monterey County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is looking for seniors age 60 years or older to serve on the California Senior Legislature (CSL).
The CSL is a non-partisan, volunteer group that gathers ideas for legislation that helps to improve the lives of seniors at the state and federal level. Elected members craft their ideas into formal, prioritized proposals and present to members of the Legislature or Congress for sponsorship into law.
Candidates for the California Senior Legislature must be residents of Monterey County and registered voters age 60 years or older by April 2. Elected senior legislators serve as ex-officio members of the Monterey County AAA Advisory Council with meetings held every other month.
Candidates must submit a completed application by 5 p.m. on April 2. Download a candidate packet from www.co.monterey.ca.us/aaa or pick one up between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. from the Monterey County AAA office at 1000 S. Main St., Suite 301, Salinas.
The election will be held on April 5 at the Area Agency on Aging’s Advisory Council meeting in Salinas at 9 a.m. in Suite 110 at the same address.
For information about the California Senior Legislature, visit www.4csl.org.
